Scott takes the reins for Fitchburg

Graduation makes room for younger players and new stars emerge. But this year, a seemingly unprecedented wave of new coaches at the helms of programs has swept through North Central Massachusetts.

Boys' basketball previews

Fitchburg High's boys' program, a team that's no stranger to success, is among those facing the reality of a new -- though familiar face -- making the calls on its sidelines. With the departure of longtime head coach Paul DiGeromino, Jack Scott -- a mainstay as a Red Raider assistant over the past 10 years -- will take the reins this season.

"I'm anxious to get that first game in," said Scott, whose team opens Friday at Burncoat. "But I certainly don't mind having a bit of time to get ready."

A year after going 15-9 and being bounced by Holy Name in Central Mass. Division 1 quarterfinals last season, the Red Raiders return with a good bit of experience. Seniors Chuck Doss, Elijah Kukta and Eli Jackson all boast time at the varsity level, while Mick Snowden and Jose Hernandez -- both juniors -- earned varsity-level experience last year as well.

Juniors Matt Leger and Thomas Hampton are getting their first taste of playing with the big boys after successful JV runs last season.

"We're still trying to figure some things out, but most of what has been done in the past (at FHS) will work with this group," Scott, a former Red Raider under Doug Grutchfield, noted.

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"I'm pretty happy with the effort and attitude these guys have come in with."

As for what style of basketball to expect from the Red Raiders, that's a work in progress.

The Blue Devils are also with a new coach on the hardwood. LHS alum Nick Smith replaces Steve Dubzinski as the head man for the team, coming back to his old stomping grounds after coaching at Narragansett Regional and Regis College.

With the Blue Devils coming off a 6-14 campaign, Smith is focused on building a perennially strong program, with the hopes that the Blue Devils will be able to compete this season as well.

"We have some athletes with some serious potential," Smith said. "We're here to build for the long term, but we definitely have some kids that can play now. I think we've turned the corner in the last few days and the team has really started to bond."

Jose Perez and Tanner Jakola will provide LHS with some outside shooting, while undersized forwards Peter Dandini and Jarell Addo have looked good on the interior. The coach noted that as the season progresses, he expects his team to get stronger.

"We've got some of the football players coming in and getting into basketball shape," Smith said. "A few guys are starting to get there and I think they'll be there soon."

St. Bernard's

Success seems to be a consistent -- and reasonable -- expectation for the Bernardians and this season is no different.

Coming off a Central Mass. Division 2 title, St. Bernard's again has postseason aspirations.

"That's the expectation every year; to get to the district final and see what happens," head coach Mark Pierce said. "We've got a tough schedule, so going 20-0 probably isn't what we're looking for, but things have been very encouraging so far and we'll look to get better with each game we play."

Returning John Crawley, Andrew Barron and Justin Valliere -- all key pieces from last season's run -- gives Pierce reason to be optimistic. But he's also looking forward to role players and JV guys from last season stepping into bigger spots.

Point guard John Conry is being tasked with running the show, with Bryan Franciosi backing him up. Pierce is also looking for big things from Mike McGuirl -- a huge player off the bench last season -- and Brandon Weyant, as well as Sean Maki and Christian LaRoche.

"We've got a pretty nice mix of players," Pierce said. "We've got a lot of depth. Kids are going to get an opportunity to play and what they do with it is up to them."

North Middlesex Regional

After boasting plenty of experience for the last two seasons, the Patriots are taking "a leap of faith" with some younger players this year, according to head coach Erik Dellasanta.

With no starters back from last year's 13-8 team, Dellasanta is looking to a trio of senior captains to shoulder the load for North Middlesex. Guard/forward Francis Phillips will bring some outside shooting to the team, while point guard Ryan Deluca is a quick and competitive defensive stopper who is beginning to develop confidence at the offensive end. And 6-foot-6 Caleb Baker is the Patriots' shot blocker and a long, athletic player who can get down the floor, according to the coach.

"At this point, we're looking to see what we are, but we're making big strides," Dellasanta said. "The guys we have are playing hard and figuring out what they can do and where they should be when they're on the floor."

Juniors Bobby Larson -- an athletic guard "committed to defense," according to Dellasanta -- and playmaker Tyler Thomas will be looked to for big contributions. Sophomore Drew Patno, an outstanding passer and shooter, should see minutes as well.

And even with the relative inexperience, don't expect the Patriots to lower their expectations. After back-to-back trips to the postseason, Dellasanta is hungry to get his team back once more.

"I'm not sure that we've made the district tournament three years in a row since we've gone to Division 1, but that's the goal," he said. "We want to get there again."

Lunenburg

Don't expect to see too many half-court sets from Lunenburg this season. Affectionately calling his team "scrappy," head coach Jon Economo is looking to push the tempo with the Blue Knights this season.

Coming off a 14-8 season and a run to the Central Mass. Division 2 semifinals, the Blue Knights lost five seniors to graduation, but return with a solid core boasting a trio of valuable senior pieces.

Greg Abare, Kacy Thiphavong and Andrew Sanders will provide leadership and experience to a team that boasts players from all classes, including an eighth-grader in Calvin Whipple.

A guard-heavy team -- Economo says the team has three or four quality point guards, including projected starter Nathan Nash, and a solid shooter in junior Jared Trainque -- the Blue Knights will likely look to press and run the floor. Only Abare and junior Marc Poirier are true post players and they're both capable of running, Economo noted.

"We lost some shooters last season, but we've got some really good guards and some slashers," the coach said. "We're going to run, we're going to press. We're going to ugly up the game. It's going to be fun to coach and it should be fun to watch."

Nashoba Regional

With Fitchburg High grad Danny Ortiz at the helm, the Chieftains are looking to turn up the intensity this season. Ortiz has come upon a fairly balanced team looking to improve week by week.

"Things are going great so far," the new coach said. "We've got a lot of kids coming into their first year on varsity, but they're working pretty hard."

Seniors Zach Hume and Brady Schartner and juniors Frankie Chiodo and Eli Williams look to carry their success from the gridiron on the court with the Chieftains. Juniors Nick Campana, Ross Cressman and senior Jordan Edmonds all look to be contributors to the team.

"We're looking to push the ball," Ortiz said. "We're hoping to put pressure on the ball, rebound and get running. We've got a little bit of everything on this team; shooters, athletes, big guys."

Oakmont Regional

Head coach Eric Dawley has been impressed with what his Spartans have shown him so far in practices. Not only has there been "a lot of energy across the board," but his players are hoping to turn things around for a program that has struggled over the past couple seasons.

"They know where we've been the past few years," Dawley said. "We've won nine games in two years. They're tired of how things have gone and are really looking to change the culture around here."

Dawley is looking to a trio of seniors to lead the changes. Guard/forward Derrick Andrews should be a key near the basket at both ends, as should captain and forward Alex White, who provides a physical rebounding presence. Co-captain Jon Wirtanen has "developed into a solid outside shooter" and will provide some key leadership, according to Dawley.

The coach has been particularly impressed by the play of Nolan Durkee -- a strong defender -- and point guard David Quaye in preseason practices.

"They've really forced the issue at practice and pushed the tempo," Dawley noted.

"We've struggled with rebounding and defense the past couple years and that made it hard for us to get out in transition," noted Dawley, whose team opens Tuesday by hosting Nashoba Regional. "This team might be more athletic than the teams we've had in years past. We're going to try to push the ball."

Gardner

Last year, the Wildcats shocked Central Mass. by knocking off second-seeded Northbridge in the postseason's opening round after sneaking in with a 9-9 record.

"We expect to compete and be successful," the coach said. "Having that experience is huge. We're an athletic team that can run, defend and shoot and we know we can't take anything for granted."

Leading the way for the Wildcats will be senior captains Jamison Kelley, Andrew Guay, Andrew Gallant, Mitch Ryan and Dan Romero. Caouette added that seniors Malcolm Woodliff and Ben Johnson would be in the mix.

Juniors Kahlil Beauregard and Devon Williams will also be key contributors to the team.

Monty Tech

Coming off a 7-13 season, the Bulldogs are hungry for success.

Mattison Darton, Andrew Garrigan and Matt Dumas return to a Monty Tech team that inched closer to .500 last season.

The Bulldogs face a challenging CAL schedule, which saw four teams finish 9-5 or better in 2011-12. Monty Tech's league record was 4-10.

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